Ashu & 2 others resign as Congress loses Ludhiana West bypoll
The recent Ludhiana West bypoll has sent shockwaves throughout the Congress party in Punjab, with the party’s candidate, Bharat Bhushan Ashu, taking responsibility for the loss and resigning from his post as the Working President of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC). In a surprising twist, two other senior leaders, MLA Pargat Singh and former MLA Kushaldeep Singh (Kikki Dhillon), who are also PPCC’s vice presidents, have also resigned in solidarity with Ashu.
The bypoll results, which were announced on October 15, saw the Congress party lose the seat to the BJP, with a margin of over 10,000 votes. The defeat has been widely attributed to internal party factionalism, lack of unity among the party workers, and poor campaign strategy.
In the aftermath of the defeat, Ashu took immediate responsibility for the loss and announced his resignation as the Working President of the PPCC. In a statement, he said, “I accept the responsibility for the party’s loss and resign from my post as the Working President of the PPCC.” He added that he was willing to discuss the reasons behind the loss with the party leadership and work towards strengthening the party.
Ashu’s resignation was followed by that of MLA Pargat Singh and former MLA Kushaldeep Singh, who are also PPCC’s vice presidents. In a joint statement, they said, “We stand by Ashu and take responsibility for the party’s loss. We will work together to strengthen the party and make it more united.”
The resignations have sent shockwaves throughout the Congress party, with many party workers and leaders expressing surprise and dismay at the sudden departure of three senior leaders. The resignations have also raised questions about the future of the PPCC and the party’s prospects in the upcoming assembly elections.
The Ludhiana West bypoll was seen as a key contest, with both the Congress and the BJP fielding strong candidates. The Congress had fielded Ashu, a former MLA and a close aide of Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, while the BJP had fielded its youth wing president, Amarjit Singh Sidhu.
The bypoll was marked by intense campaigning, with both parties deploying their top leaders to the constituency. However, despite the high-profile campaign, the Congress party’s efforts seemed to fall flat, with the party failing to connect with the voters and galvanize support among its traditional strongholds.
The defeat has been widely attributed to internal party factionalism, with many party workers and leaders feeling that the party’s top leadership was not fully committed to the campaign. The party’s lack of unity and poor campaign strategy were also seen as major factors in the loss.
The resignations of Ashu, Pargat Singh, and Kikki Dhillon have sent a clear message to the party leadership that the party needs to change its approach and work towards unity and cohesion. The party’s prospects in the upcoming assembly elections will depend on its ability to learn from the mistakes of the Ludhiana West bypoll and adapt to the changing electoral landscape.
In conclusion, the resignations of Ashu, Pargat Singh, and Kikki Dhillon are a significant development in the Punjab politics, and a clear indication that the Congress party needs to revamp its strategy and approach to win back the confidence of its voters. The party’s future prospects depend on its ability to learn from its mistakes and work towards unity and cohesion.
